Global Context of Mental Health and Mental Illness
“Mental health is as important as physical health to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries. Yet only a small minority of the 450 million people suffering from a mental or behavioural disorders are receiving treatment”
(The World Health Report 2001, Chapter 1)
In order to understand the global burden of mental disorders first we
need to understand DALYs
DALYs are Disability Adjusted Life Years
They’re a measure of the total length of time that a specific illness is disabling to an individual over the course of their life span
What does that mean? How are DALYs used?
DALYs are a calculation of the total disability incurred due to a specific illness
One measure of the global burden of disease
WHO Health Report, 2001
Disorder % Total
Unipolar Depression 16.4
Alcohol Use Disorder 5.5
Schizophrenia 4.9
Iron-Deficiency Anemia 4.9
Bipolar Disorder 4.7
Here are the leading causes of years of life lived with a disability: Ages 15-44
Mental Disorder Six Month Prevalence (%) Age = 18-54
Anxiety Disorder 16.4
Mood Disorder 7.1
Disruptive Behavioral Disorders 5.3
Substance Use Disorders 1.1
Any Disorder 1.3
WHO Health Report, 2001
This is how common mental disorders are in adults (18-54)
Non-Communicable Diseases account for approximately
50% of adult disease burden in the “developing world”
GLOBAL CONTEXT:
Mental disorders account for 5 of the top 10 in Global Burden of Disease (DALY’s)
GLOBAL CONTEXT:
HIV/AIDS
Unipolar Depressive Disorders
Road Traffic Accidents
Tuberculosis
Alcohol Use Disorders
Self-Inflicted Injuries
Iron-deficiency Amaemia
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Affective Disorder
Violence
HIV/AIDS
Unipolar Depressive Disorders
Road Traffic Accidents
Tuberculosis
Alcohol Use Disorders
Self-Inflicted Injuries
Iron-deficiency Amaemia
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Affective Disorder
Violence
2020By 2020 depression will be the
second most costly (DALYs) disease worldwide
GLOBAL CONTEXT:
How do mental disorders impact children and adolescents
Most mental illnesses onset during the adolescent years
Mental Disorder Six Month Prevalence (%) Age = 9-17
Anxiety Disorder 13.0
Mood Disorder 6.2
Disruptive Behavioral Disorders 10.3
Substance Use Disorders 2.0
Any Disorder 20.9
WHO Health Report, 2001
This is how common mental disorders are in children and adolescents (9-17)
“Most of this burden is preventable on the basis of existing knowledge” ~ Lee Jong-wook (former WHO Director- General)
Further Reading
World Health Report 2001, World Health Organization - mental health: new understanding, new hopehttp://www.who.int/whr/2001/en/index.html
Global Burden of Neurological Disorders, World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/mental_health/neurology/chapter_2_neuro_disorders_public_h_challenges.pdf
Mental Health Atlas, World Health Organization, 2005 http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/atlas/global_results.pdf
Country Resources for Neurological Disorders, World Health Organization Atlas, 2004http://www.who.int/mental_health/neurology/neurogy_atlas_lr.pdf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Resources, World Health Organization, 2004http://www.who.int/mental_health/resources/Child_ado_atlas.pdf
Updated projections of global mortality and burden of disease, 2002–2030, World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/healthinfo/statistics/bodprojectionspaper.pdf
Suicide Statistics, World Health Organizationhttp://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/country_reports/en/index.html
Global and regional burden of disease and risk factors, 2001http://www.fic.nih.gov/news/fogarty/2006/dcpp_lancet_367.pdf
In Adolescent Mental Health
For more information visit
WWW.TEENMENTALHEALTH.ORG
Sun Life Financial Chair